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vrijdag 8 juni 2012

Showtime is getting into an election mode with Larry Wilmore’s Race, Religion And Sex, a one-hour comedy special starring Larry Wilmore, in which he explores issues dealing with race, religion and sex through comedy, satire and political commentary. The pay cable network has ordered one special with a possibility for more, and I hear a potential second show is eyed to air before the November Presidential elections.

Shot in Salt Lake City, Utah in front of a live audience, the special will employ a town hall format, using a mix of interviews, panels, guest stars and “man on the street” field pieces, showcasing Wilmore’s comedic, intellectual and ethnic perspective. It is written by Wilmore, who is executive producing with Michael Rotenberg and David Miner of 3 Arts. UTA-repped Wilmore, the Emmy-winning creator of The Bernie Mac Show who also co-created The PJs, provides regular commentary on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart where he serves as “Senior Black Correspondent.”

CBS’ outside counsel tonight will file for a temporary restraining order against ABC in an effort to prevent ABC from premiering the Big Brother-like new reality series Glass House on June 18. The filing will be made electronically at midnight with US District Court judge Gary Allen Feess. The move was expected as the discovery phase in CBS’ lawsuit against Disney and ABC over Glass House has been moving slowly, and a federal judge not expected to make a ruling in the case before June 15 at the earliest. That is the Friday before the Monday, June 18 scheduled debut of Glass House.

We’ve learned that the TRO request is based primarily on the deposition for former Big Brother producer Kenny Rosen, now executive producer/showrunner of Glass House. In a deposition with CBS lawyers last Sunday, he admitted to taking a copy of the Big Brother Guest Manual and having it typed up separately as part of a Glass House manual. Given that the manual is considered a proprietary document and viewed as highly confidential by CBS, the network lawyers will argue that that is a clear violation of the non-disclosure agreement Rosen signed when at Big Brother. Rosen also admitted about two-thirds through his depo that he “consulted” the Big Brother Master Control schedule in an effort to partially figure out how many people he would have to hire for the production of Glass House. Rosen’s attorney Devin McRae shut down the line of questioning at that point, claiming attorney/client privilege. But Rosen also allegedly revealed that even more former Big Brother staffers being employed by Glass House than previously known. He put the number at 25-30, half of the ABC series’ staff. He also acknowledged that development of Glass House at ABC started around the time former Big Brother producer Corie Henson joined the network as an executive in the unscripted department. Additionally, Rosen admitted to deleting Glass House-related emails after CBS had filed its lawsuit over the show.

CBS filed a multi-million dollar suit on May 10 against ABC, Disney and several former Big Brother producers. It cited copyright infringement, trade-secret misappropriation, unfair competition, breach of contract and conspiracy among other claims. ABC counter-sued, saying it believed there was “no merit” to CBS’ lawsuit. Since then, the networks have been locked in legal trench warfare — an approach CBS calls “ABC’s run-out-the-clock strategy.” Meanwhile, ABC has proceeded with announcing a cast for Glass House and is running a promo campaign for the series, while CBS has continued with its legal action against Disney as well as the individual producers who once worked on Big Brother and are now on Glass House, which the network claims are in violation of their Big Brother NDAs. CBS is represented by Scott Edelman, Michael Seitz, Theane Evangelis Kapur and Blaine Evanson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. ABC is represented by Glenn Pomerantz, Jonathan Altman and Carolyn Hoecker Luedtke of Munger, Tolles & Olson.

The "Snow White and the Huntsman" actress has sold a modern-day version of the Hatfields and McCoys saga to the network, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap.

Theron will serve as producer on the project, which is being produced by ABC Studios via her Denver and Delilah production shingle. "Prison Break" executive producer Dawn Olmstead and "Requiem for a Dream" producer Beau Flynn are also on board to produce, with "Eagle Eye" scribe John Glenn writing.

The pickup follows on History Channel's successful "Hatfields & McCoys" miniseries, which set viewership records for ad-supported cable, raking in 14.3 million total viewers with its May 30 finale. That version of the saga starred Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as the patriarchs behind America's most famous family feud.

The actress's Denver and Delilah has produced Theron-starring films such as 2003's "Monster" and last year's "Young Adult."

30 years after the original Japanese-French animated series aired, a new season of The Mysterious Cities of Gold is on its way

Children of the late seventies and eighties, let’s see if this gets your nostalgia synapses firing: a symbolic medallion, a solar-powered Golden Condor, a young boy named Esteban… mean anything?

Those of you who heard a faint panpipe air start up as you read those words, followed by a chirpy eighties voice singing “Children of the sun, see your time has just begun…” will know exactly what we’re on about: Japanese-French animated series The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

Talk about your belated sequels… Indy, Rocky, and Jurassic Park really have nothing on this. Originally broadcast in Japan in 1982, season 1 of The Mysterious Cities of Gold was set in 16th century South America and told the story of young Esteban’s search for his father.

Now 30 years later comes series 2, the first of 3 planned new seasons from French animation company Blue Spirit, due to begin airing on French channel TF1 this September. Amongst other things, the new trailer features Esteban asking the truth about his priest-father and a mysterious hooded figure promising to pursue Esteban and co. to China, where the new season looks to be taking place.

A French-language trailer has popped up online, and if you skip to about 03:55 you can hear the new French version of that theme song.

DO NO HARM (NBC) - John Carroll Lynch ("Body of Proof") has been upped to series regular on the midseason drama, a modern take on "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" about a brilliant neurosurgeon (Steven Pasquale) who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego. The actor, whose option wasn't picked up for the third season of "Proof," guest starred in the pilot as the NA sponsor of Pasquale's character. Alana De La Garza, Michael Esper, Mousa Kraish, Phylicia Rashad and Ruta Gedmintas also star. (TVLine.com)

UNTITLED ANTHONY BOURDAIN/NIGELLA LAWSON PROJECT (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet is currently casting for a new cooking show "that will pit America's most skilled cooks against one another in a show unlike any other." Kinetic Content ("You Deserve It") is behind the project, which will feature Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. No other details were given. (ABC.com)

MOCKINGBIRD LANE (NBC) - Mariana Klaveno ("True Blood") has been cast as Lily Munster in the Peacock's reboot, joining the previously cast Jerry O'Connell as Herman, Mason Cook as Eddie, Charity Wakefield as Marilyn and Eddie Izzard as Grandpa. Said deal however is contingent on ABC Studios releasing the actress from its drama pilot "Devious Maids," which remains under consideration at Lifetime. Yvonne De Carlo originated the role of Lily Munster, the vampire wife of Herman and mother to Eddie, in the 1960s series. Writer Bryan Fuller and director Bryan Singer are behind the pilot, which is set up at Universal Television. (Deadline.com)

DA VINCI'S DEMONS (Starz) - Lara Pulver ("True Blood") is the latest addition to the upcoming drama, about the "untold" story of the world's greatest genius - Leonardo da Vinci (Tom Riley) - during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. She'll play "famed enchantress and political machinator Clarice Orsini, aristocratic wife of Florentine ruler Lorenzo Medici." Laura Haddock also stars as Lucrezia Donati. David S. Goyer is behind the project, which is set up at BBC Worldwide Productions. (Deadline.com)

HANNIBAL (NBC) - Mads Mikkelsen ("Casino Royale") has booked the title role in the upcoming drama, about the early relationship between psychiatrist-turned-serial-killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mikkelsen), and gifted criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). Gaumont International Television is behind the project, the pilot for which will be directed by David Slade from a script by Bryan Fuller. Brian Cox originated the Lecter role in the 1986 feature "Manhunter" while Anthony Hopkins took home an Oscar for his turn in 1991's "The Silence of the Lambs." (Deadline.com)

HOLIDAY SPIN (Lifetime, New!) - Ralph Macchio and Garrett Clayton are set to topline a new holiday original at the cable channel about Blake (Clayton), a "rebellious teen who is forced to go live with his father Ruben (Macchio) after his mother is killed in a car accident." Macchio's character runs a famed dance studio that has fallen on hard times where Blake falls for star student Pia (yet to be cast), who just happens to be Ruben's future step-daughter. Writer Albert Leon and director Jon Rosenbaum are behind the project, with Safe House's Scott W. Anderson serving as an executive producer and HS Productions' Christian Bruyere producing. (THR.com)

MOCKINGBIRD LANE (NBC) - Jerry O'Connell ("The Defenders") has been tapped to star as Herman Munster in the Peacock's reboot of "The Munsters." Said role, played by Fred Gwynne in the original 1960s series, is detailed as a great dad and devoted husband who works at a funeral home and is married to Lily (yet to be cast), a vampire, with whom he has fathered a 10-year-old boy, Eddie (Mason Cook), a werewolf. Charity Wakefield and Eddie Izzard also star in the Universal Television-based hour, from writer Bryan Fuller and director Bryan Singer. (Deadline.com)

PLAYING FATHER (Hallmark) - Eddie Cibrian and Michael Beach are set to star in the original movie, about "a former musician (Cibrian) who, despite having fans around the world, opts to return home to take a job teaching music to disenfranchised children so he can repair his relationship with his own family." Beach then will play "a custodian who works at the school in which Cibrian's character works." Eriq La Salle is helming the film, due to premiere next year timed with Father's Day, off a script by Wayne Lemon with Larry Levinson and Randy Pope serving as executive producers and Lincoln Lageson producing. (THR.com)RED WIDOW (ABC) - Clifton Collins Jr. ("The Event") has joined the cast of the midseason drama, about Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell), the widow of an assassinated criminal who is suddenly forced to adopt her late husband's (Anson Mount) role in order to protect her family. He'll play FBI Agent James Ramos, taking over for Mido Hamada in the original pilot. Melissa Rosenberg is behind the ABC Studios-based hour. (Deadline.com)

The cooking-based show titled Food Glorious Food aims to find the UK's best new home-cooked meal, reports The Sun.

The winner will receive £20,000, along with their dish being sold at Marks & Spencer stores throughout the UK.

The multi-million pound show is being produced by the same team behind some of Gordon Ramsay's TV productions.

Regional heats will begin next month, with hopeful chefs showing producers their British meals.

Winners of the heats will then face several challenges during the semi-finals and final, and will be judged by a panel of cooking experts.

The X Factor's Dermot O'Leary is reportedly a front runner to host the series.

A show insider said: "We're tapping into the Jubilee spirit with a Best of British theme. It's open to all ages - from a granny with Cornish pasties to a youngster who has the ultimate recipe for jellied eels. We're looking for characters too - with the 'likeability factor'."

Cowell has previously stated that he was developing a new cooking show to rival the BBC's MasterChef and The Great British Bake-Off.

The former "Two and a Half Men" star, who's made more than his share of headlines over the past year, attempted to stress the importance of a civilized society to a female security guard at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Wednesday night -- by launching an obscenity-filled tirade at her.

The etiquette lesson came when a female employee denied Sheen re-entry to the Staples Center after he stepped out for a smoke break during the L.A. Kings game.

Sensing a certain inflexibility on the employee's part, Sheen let loose on her with a flurry of four-letter fury.

Sheen later told the cameraman who captured the exchange that he was merely trying to instill a sense of civility in the young lady.

"Common sense and common courtesy -- they're, like, gone in society. That's what I was trying to impress upon her," Sheen said. "That's all. Let a guy back in a door that he just walked out of ... It's just about common sense, that's all."

Sheen's spokesman, Larry Solters, suggested that everyone involved -- including the Kings, who were beat by the New Jersey Devils during Wednesday night's game in the Stanley Cup series -- would be better off if Staples merely learned to better accommodate smokers.

"Perhaps it is not just coincidental that the Devils scored their first goal against the Kings shortly after Charlie left Staples," Solters told TheWrap. "Kings – maybe you want to have a smoking section for Charlie if the series comes back for game 6?”

The irony in all this? Sheen's newest series, premiering on FX on June 28, is called "Anger Management."

The other irony? In a seemingly unrelated tweet Wednesday, Sheen posted the cover of the new issue of Rolling Stone, which features the actor puffing on a ciggie.

Tom Baker has stated that he would be interested in returning to Doctor Who if asked.

The actor was speaking at a Q&A session in Milton Keynes with fellow former Doctors Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Paul McGann and Sylvester McCoy, where he said he would "consider" a possible return.

"Well, if they ask me nicely or I could see what they wanted me to do I would consider it because I think the fans have been so good to me, they expect me at least to make an appearance so of course I would consider that," he said.

"If it was something witty but I would want to know what the detail of the scene was or what I was supposed to do. I just don't want to be paraded through as some shagged-out old icon of the last century. It's too much of a source of happiness."

Baker also revealed that the role ended up "killing" his career as a serious actor, saying: "I was never really happy until I became Doctor Who.

"At the same time, although it's the loveliest job I ever had, it essentially killed my career stone dead because I suddenly realised I liked being Doctor Who more than anything that had ever happened to me. So when I went to play Macbeth the audience wanted me to play Macbeth in the style of Doctor Who and naturally I did.

"Afterwards a critic said, 'I had no idea how nice Macbeth was'. So I realised then that the people coming to see me - people like you - didn't want to see me playing Jack the Ripper or whatever it was.

"So when I went to Ireland to play Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty in the same play, they were absolutely baffled because they were absolutely interchangeable, my reason being the same person, really. So that was another failure, a glorious failure."

Steven Moffat said earlier this year that the show's 50th anniversary in 2013 will be amazing for the fans.

ITV4's French Open coverage peaked with 1.4m last night (June 6) as Andy Murray exited the tournament, overnight data shows.

Andy Murray's quarter-final loss to David Ferrer averaged 810k (6.6%) between 3.30pm and 8pm, while the day's entire coverage took 573k (4.9%) from 12.30pm.

The French Open has sent ITV4's all-day share shooting up to record highs in the last week, with the channel recording an average of 2.9% yesterday.

BBC Three performed well in primetime, with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (971k/4.3%) and an EastEnders repeat giving the digital channel a 4.1% share - only narrowly behind Channel 5's 4.3%.

Family Guy amused 795k (8.5%) at 11.20pm, then 711k (9%) watched American Dad - meaning BBC Three was the most-watched network on TV at that time.

Peter Andre vehicle My Life bowed out with a commendable 708k (3.1%) on ITV2 at 9pm, adding 123k (0.7%) on +1. America's Got Talent was seen by 412k (1.8%) before Andre at 8pm (+1: 111k).

Phillip Phillips has gone under the knife -- and he's ready to hit the road.

"American Idol" winner Phillips is recovering from surgery to remove a kidney stone and will be ready to join his cohorts next month when the American Idol LIVE! tour kicks off.

"Surgery went well, he’s resting and will be ready for the Idol tour kick off on July 6!," Leslie Fradkin from 19 Entertainment, which produces "American Idol," told TheWrap.

According to TMZ, Phillips underwent the surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday, enduring a 6 1/2-hour procedure to remove massive kidney stones that were too big to pass naturally.

The surgery is a long time coming; Phillips' condition plagued him during his run on "Idol." He received emergency medical treatment in early March after complaining of severe abdominal pain, and after the "American Idol" finale in late May, his father revealed that he had undergone eight surgeries during his run on "Idol."

"I've been sick this whole show," the singer himself revealed via a call-in to "Live With Kelly."

TMZ reports that Phillips was scheduled to undergo the surgery last week but was forced to postpone due to a fever and sinus infection.

The American Idol LIVE! tour kicks off July 6 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and wraps up on Sept. 11 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, Phillips' predecessor, 2011 "American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery, had his own big day on Wednesday -- not only did he win Breakthrough Video of the Year award at the CMT Awards, but he graduated from Garner High School in North Carolina, USA Today reports.

I've enjoyed this last 4 years," the 18-year-old tweeted, "wouldn't trade any of them for the world."

On a rerun-filled Wednesday, "So You Think You Can Dance" pushed Fox to a ratings win, while CBS' "Dogs in the City" dropped considerably from last week's series premiere, according to preliminary numbers.

Airing "So You Think You Can Dance" from 8 to 10 p.m., Fox took first place in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic, posting a 2.4 rating /7 share -- down 11 percent from last week, but enough to give the network the top ratings spot for the night. "SYTCD" drew 6.5 million viewers, the highest total viewership for the night, which made Fox the most-watched network overall.

CBS' "Dogs In the City" at 8 dropped 31 percent from last week's series premiere with a 0.9/3, and took 5.1 million total viewers. The network's primetime slate consisted of repeats otherwise. The network came in second in ratings and total viewers with an average 1.2/3 and 5.8 million total viewers.

Both ABC and NBC ran repeats throughout the night. ABC tied Univision for third place in ratings and for fourth place in total viewers, with both networks receiving a 1.2/3 and 3.2 million.

NBC took fifth place in ratings and third in total viewers, receiving a 0.9/3 and 3.8 million.

Jon Stewart says Wisconsin's recall election brought out the hyperbole on Fox News -- where pundits made perhaps too much of Gov. Scott Walker keeping his job -- and on MSNBC, where the news took a while to set in.

Walker, a conservative, anti-union Republican, retained his job by a 53-46 percent margin Tuesday -- faring even better than he did when he was elected in 2010 by 52-46 percent. Fox News personalities saw it as a harbinger of defeat for President Obama in November, with Sarah Palin saying plainly, "Obama's goose is cooked."

On Wednesday's "Daily Show," Stewart didn't accept Walker's win as a loss for Obama. But he also didn't believe MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell's claim that the president was "the really big winner" Tuesday.

"Yup," Stewart said. "Just like Obama drew it up on the chalkboard: 'Hey guys! What if we could figure out a way to have the core of what we believe soundly rejected by voters in a swing state just five months before the national election? It might just be the boost we need.'"

According to the Daily Star, a member of the crew incorrectly introduced the 37-year-old singer to the audience as her bandmate, before hurriedly correcting himself.

Mel B has been drafted in as the fourth judge for the Manchester leg of auditions, with producers still yet to find a full-time replacement for Kelly Rowland (who confirmed she was leaving the show in April).

Gary Barlow is said to be keen for Mel B to join him and fellow X Factor judges Tulisa and Louis Walsh on a permanent basis. The Leeds-born popstar, who sat on the Australian X Factor panel last year, previously said that she was looking forward to being part of the show.

"I'm so, so, so excited to be a guest judge in Manchester. Being a Northern girl, I believe there's lots of amazing talent in the North of England. I am coming to find the winner.

"I love my job as a judge on The X Factor Australia," she added. "But it will be great to sit on the panel in the UK. Britain is, and always will be, my home and first love."

Dish Network customers have lost access to 14 channels in six states due to a dispute with the Dallas-based media company Hoak Media over pricing and Dish's commercial-skipping Auto Hop function, the satellite company said.

The dispute comes as Dish is embroiled in lawsuits with ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC over Auto Hop, which allows customers to watch previously aired primetime shows commercial free. The 14 channels include affiliates of all four networks.

“Hoak doesn’t respect customer control – they are telling customers they must watch commercials,” said Dave Shull, senior vice president of programming for Dish. “Channel skipping has been around since the advent of the remote control, and we think Hoak has taken an incredibly hostile stance toward their viewers.”

Hoak did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC have sued Dish over Auto Hop on copyright grounds, and called it a threat to ad-supported network programming.

Dish said it no longer has the right to carry the following 14 Hoak channels: KREX and KFQX in Grand Junction, Colo.; KFYR in Minot and KVLY and KXJB in Fargo, N.D.; WMBB in Panama City, Fla.; KNOP and KIIT in North Platte and KHAS in Lincoln, Neb.; KSFY in Sioux Falls, S.D.; and KNOE and KAQY in Monroe and KALB and NALB in Alexandria, La.

Armando Iannucci has talked to Digital Spy about the broad plans for the Alan Partridge movie.

Steve Coogan's comic creation is expected to arrive on the big screen in 2013, following a confirmation of shooting later this year, and Iannucci insisted that the film would "preserve the intimacy" of the classic Partridge TV series.

"The Partridge movie starts at North Norfolk Digital. But it would be a terrible film if it was just a 90-minute version of his show on North Norfolk Digital," the exec producer told DS.

"But it's not Alan goes to America or Alan goes to space or anything like that. We've tried to preserve the intimacy and the localism of it.

"But at the same time we've tried to give it a story that justifies it going on the big screen."

Joking about how the hapless Norfolk DJ will go down with US moviegoers, he said: "I'm told there is a place called Norfolk in America. I think what Norwich wants more than anything else is lots and lots of American tourists flocking up.

"If we can do that for Norwich our mission will be over."

When asked where the Partridge character is right now in his career, Iannucci said: "I think he's still frustrated that he hasn't been asked onto something like I'm A Celebrity. He could be one of these people who were considered naff 10 years ago and have been reacclimatised to a younger audience by being on something like that. He's not had that call."

Father Ted's Declan Lowney is directing the movie.

Partridge, who was created by Coogan, Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring in the early '90s for radio, is making a TV comeback later this month on Sky.

Sky Atlantic's first one-off Partridge special - Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life - airs on Monday, June 25.

Hayes, formerly the digital overseer of all things digital at Showtime, has signed on with NBC, in the newly created position of executive vice president, digital media. Hayes will report to NBC Entertainment Marketing & Digital President Len Fogge.

“It’s critical that we do everything possible to light up digital media in order to help rebuild the primetime schedule. And there’s no one better to lead this effort than Rob Hayes,” Greenblatt said. “I saw the effect he had at Showtime firsthand, and it’s no accident that the pay network’s explosion coincided with its digital innovations.”

Hayes was hired as part of the network's plan to more closely align its digital and programming strategies on shows such as "Smash," "The Voice," "Grimm," "Up All Night" and "30 Rock."

At Showtime, Hayes was responsible for creating multi-platform identities for shows such as "Dexter," "Weeds," "Nurse Jackie," "Californication" and "The Tudors," which included forging groundbreaking deals with iTunes, Amazon and Netflix.

Between Showtime and NBC, Hayes served as COO of Iconic Entertainment Inc., where he created premium video-on-demand channels for YouTube and other distributors.

The evidence that "America's Got Talent" contestant Timothy Poe failed to tell the truth about his military service continues to mount.

As TMZ reports, a photo of a soldier shown during Poe's audition is not Poe at all, but rather a different soldier altogether.

Staff Sgt. Norman Bone -- the man who's actually pictured in the photo -- contacted the website to set the record straight. And he's not happy about the case of mistaken identity.

"First thing that came to my mind was 'Why would this lying son of a bitch do this?'" Bone, who serves in El Paso, Texas, told TMZ. "I'm absolutely furious. Been seeing red all day."

The photo has been posted on the Department of Defense's website, bearing the caption, "U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Norman Bone directs movement as his patrol turns around on a narrow path in the mountains of Parwan province in Afghanistan on Oct. 25, 2006."

The caption goes on to identify Bone as "a patrol leader for the 561st Military Police Company, Fort Campbell, Ky., attached to 10th Mountain Division."

A spokesman for FremantleMedia, "America's Got Talent's" production company, apologized for the error in a statement provided to TheWrap, noting that the photo "was supplied to us by Tim and used on the show in good faith. It has now been removed and will not be used again."

The latest revelation adds further fuel to speculation that Poe is embellishing his military record.

During his audition, Poe claimed that he sustained brain damage that left him with a speech impediment from a grenade blast while serving. However, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard refuted Poe's claim, saying that, while Poe did serve his country overseas, there is no record of the injury he described on the show.

“His military records indicate that he served with the Minnesota National Guard in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 until July 15, 2008, and was deployed to Afghanistan from July 28, 2009 to Aug. 30, 2009,” Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said in a statement. “Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports. The Minnesota National Guard can also confirm that he was not awarded the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained in combat.”